


Experiments at Dusk

by sinemoras09



Category: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-25
Updated: 2008-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-22 11:49:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7437017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinemoras09/pseuds/sinemoras09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a way to bring her back. Gen. Unrequited Billy/Penny. Spoilers for Acts I-III.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Experiments at Dusk

The room is dark; there's static on the TV. Billy sits on the couch, eyes dry and eating Chinese food from a greasy carton. 

"I'll tell you what I think," the pundit says. The image distorts; the TV flickers painfully. "I think we've got a new supervillain in town, and someone needs to rise to the challenge. Someone needs to take down this guy. And if Captain Hammer can't do the job--"

Billy switches off the TV. He tosses the remote on the couch and takes the stairs to the basement. Pulling on a labcoat, he switches on the lights, moving toward the covered tank in the corner. 

He can get Penny back. He _knows_ he can get Penny back. It's just a matter of time.

 

*****

 

It's been almost six months since Penny's death, but Moist had moved in long before that. "My carpet's all moldy and my landlord threatened to boot me out. I don't have anywhere to go," Moist said. Now the carpet's changed and the landlord's happy, but Moist insists on staying, propping himself on Billy's couch and sifting through Billy's mail. "It's closer to work," Moist says, and Billy's mouth thins. They both know why Moist won't leave, but neither one of them will say the words. 

The sun is starting to set. Night falls quickly during Billy's ten minute walk from the laundromat, and by the time he's back home, it's completely dark. Inside, Moist is asleep on the couch. Billy walks past him and takes the stairs to his room. Dumping his laundry on the bed, he stands and looks out the window. Below him, he can see the street lights flickering outside, the sharp angles of his face reflecting off the pane of glass. It's funny how quickly reputations get built--Dr. Horrible is more savage, more ruthless, more _evil_ than the other members combined. After Penny's death, Billy raged across the city like a wounded animal, terrorizing the populace and building up his street cred. "Bad Horse thinks you're nuts," Tie Die said, and Billy only laughed. It was something he could use to his advantage. 

 

*****

 

Moist is starting to get nosy, which annoys him. Everyone else gives Billy a wide berth, which seems like the thing to do when someone is grieving. Moist however, insists on talking to him, popping in his room at night to make sure everything is okay.

"People are talking," Moist says. "They say you're stealing money from Bad Horse--that you're diverting funds over to your lab."

Billy doesn’t look at him; instead, he focuses his eyes on a grey spot on the wall.

“You can get killed,” Moist says. “I’m just saying, I don’t like what I’m hearing.”

"I'm fine," Billy says. He looks out the window. "Isn't there a Henchmen's meeting or something you have to go to?"

Moist frowns and leaves, closing the door behind him.

 

*****

 

The beam smashes into Billy's chest; he's thrown against the wall. Billy crumbles, his shoulder hitting the ground. 

"Do you know who I am?" the man asks. He yanks Billy forward. "Do you?"

"Please," Billy says. Blood trickles down the corner of his mouth. "Please, please..."

"I'm Dead Bowie," Bowie says. "And do you know what happens when someone crosses Dead Bowie?"

He pulls out his death ray and shoves it against Billy's face.

"Take a guess," Bowie says, and he starts to pull the trigger.

Something slams into Bowie's face. The gun goes flying. Billy looks up and sees Moist and the Pink Pummeler rushing toward him. "Moist!"

Bowie lunges, but Moist is quick. Water beads and Bowie pitches forward, slamming on the ground.

 

*****

 

"You could have gotten killed!" Moist says. "Going after _Bowie_? In the middle of the day?"

"He had something I needed," Billy says. "And who cares what Bowie thinks? It's not like I stole from Bad Horse....directly."

"I'm not doing this anymore," Moist says. "I'm not going to keep standing by while my best friend fucks himself over."

"You're just jealous," Billy says.

"It's not about that," Moist says. 

"Oh right, and me being part of the ELE has nothing to do with this," Billy says.

"Dude, Penny's dead! She's _dead_ , man! And as soon as you stop obsessing over her, you can start to move on!" Moist raises his voice. It's the first time Billy's seen him angry. "We've been dancing around the same thing for the last six months. Yeah, you're evil. Yeah, you're badass. But you're being reckless! You're part of the League! And yet you're trying to mutiny against their leader! Don't tell me it's not because you've got something to prove. The last thing we need is another broken death ray!"

Moist rushes toward the tank. Billy grabs his arm. "Don't!"

But it's too late. Moist pulls off the curtain and stares at horror at the giant glass tank, at the body of a girl floating inside.

"Oh my God," Moist says. "Penny."

They watch as Penny floats serenely, like a fairy suspended in the air.

 

*****

 

Billy moves forward, touches his fingers against the glass.

"She was my everything," Billy says, softly. "She's not dead, Moist. She's just sleeping. And she'll stay that way until I find a cure."

Billy turns toward Moist, wringing his hands.

"I wanted to tell you," Billy says. "I wanted to tell you everything, I swear it. But everyone would think I was crazy, and if there's one thing Bad Horse doesn't like, it's Less Evil and More Crazy." He stares at Moist, his stomach twisting. 

"Moist, c'mon," Billy says. "Say something."

Moist runs his hands in his hair, then sits heavily on the couch. Light falls on Moist's face, and in the dim half-light, Billy can make out the worry lines around his eyes, the days' worth of stubble growing on Moist's chin. 

"What can I do to help?"


End file.
